Broken Memories
by Ashlaloo
Summary: She thought she could get away, to leave her old life behind but apparently fate, or destiny, or whatever you want to call it had other plans. It all started with a message...a message that would send her already fragile life tumbling back into the perfect mess she tried to forget.
1. Pilot

"Dammit" Sakura mumbled as she switched the paper bag in her right arm on top of the one in her left to try and fish her keys out of her purse. Once she located them she leaned against the door and tried to open it one handed.

_I really need to leave that outside light on. _

She came home well after dark almost every work night and yet she could not for the life of her get into the habit of flipping that switch for when she trudged her way back home. Then again maybe if she did leave it on she'd somehow miss this little dance routine she did every night with her keys.

The door clicked and she stepped into her apartment.

"Finally." She breathed out and tossed her groceries on the nearest clear table, back kicking the door closed. It was cold in her apartment, so cold her breath was coming out in little clouds. The last few days the chill had gotten increasingly worse, consuming the last of the slightly warm nights of fall. Winter was here and made the fact that her heater was broken into a major issue. It died out in late spring which wasn't a problem since summer was almost unbearably hot then when fall came it wasn't too bad but now...now it needed to get fixed and her landlord seemed to have no intention of having it repaired.

Turning on lights she made her way to the kitchen with the bags of groceries she'd bought pushing the start button on her flashing answering machine.

"Miss Haruno we called to inform you-"

"that you need to schedule an appointment. You can reach us at 541-685-6685" Sakura imitated the callers voice along with the message. They called every night ever since she canceled. She thought they'd get the hint seeing how she never called them back, but no. They had been calling so long that it almost felt normal hearing it every night.

NEXT MESSAGE, the automated female voice stated.

"Sakura, it's Jesshu. I uhh... you didn't call so I thought I would. I guess you're not home...so uhh...call me back."

Sakura straightened up, taking her head out of the fridge and looked at the answering machine confused.

"Jesshu...Jesshu...hmmm...OH!" Sakura facepalmed. He was the one she went out to dinner with...last week? No maybe it was the week before that. It was a long and rather uneventful first date. He took her out to dinner where the lacking conversation made the mediocre food even more noticeable. Then while she had suggested that they head to the concert being held later that night he had simply stated that it was sold out and there was no way they could get tickets. Which of course wasn't true, they could have gotten scalped tickets but the look on his face told Sakura that wasn't even going to be an option. She didn't ask for much in a man or a date but adventure or at the least spontaneity was something she would never strike from her checklist. Too many things had already been struck in her failed attempts to find a boyfriend.

LAST MESSAGE

"Only 3?" Sakura smiled and began folding the paper bags.

"Sakura?"

Sakura dropped the bag and slowly walked over to the machine.

"Um. God I wish you were there right now, I hate to leave this on a message but it would be quicker than just telling you to call me back because you probably wouldn't...uh-"

Sakura heard the woman take a shaky deep breath.

"Um...-"

Her voice was quivering.

"Sasuke...he was...he was in an accident."

Sakura felt her blood drain from her face.

"He's uh...he's in a coma right now. They can't figure out what's wrong with him...they...they're telling us that he probably won't ever wake up..."

Sakura felt tears in her eyes as she hears crying on the machine.

"I thought you should know."

Her voice suddenly became controlled, in that typical Uchiha manner and the line when off.

NO MORE MESSEGES.


	2. Chapter 1

Sakura sat in the taxi looking out the window but not seeing the city go by. Jet lag and worry wasn't a match made in heaven. Her plan was to sleep on the plane but that never happened, too much was racing in her head. What had Sasuke gotten himself into? He had never been boring or mundane but he was never reckless. Mikoto didn't tell her what had happened when she called back, in fact she avoided that question with an ability honed by years of dealing with politicians and crafty businessmen. Which only made Sakura's suspicions worse. The Uchiha business was monumental and noble on the outside. They had their hands in research, sales, and numerous charities, but she knew better than to think that was it. There was an obscure underlying layer to their wealth, one filled with secrets and lies, one she would never understand and perhaps was never meant to.

"Miss."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts at the annoyed tone in her drivers voice. He was turned, staring back at her with an expected look on his face. Flicking her eyes away from his and to the windshield she realized they were parked. They had arrived at the hospital already.

"Oh, sorry." She said immediately opening her purse and pulling out her fair money. The moment she closed the door behind her the familiar flitting feeling in her stomach began. Once upon a time she'd feel this daily, those were happier times and right now the butterflies were unwelcome. Right now staring into the glass doors of the best hospital in the world, knowing just who was in there, made her want to do nothing more than turn tail and go home to hide under the covers of her small, considerably cold apartment. But she was here, she needed to be here. If she turned and left she'd regret it for the rest of her life, especially if Sasuke never actually woke up.

Picking up her small overnight bag (which was jammed with more than one nights worth of supplies) she took a deep breath and walked into the sliding doors. The heels of her boots clicked on the marble floor. Just a few steps in the sight of this hospital took her breath away. It looked more like an upscale hotel rather than a hospital but that's probably what they were going for, seeing as the patients here were some of the most richest people in the world. In other words this place was swimming with money not only from the actual services they provided but also by the millions they accumulated every month by "donations" from the families who's loved ones were saved by the doctors here and it showed. The white marble floors were paired with dark mahogany furniture upholstered with black leather. What seemed like the front waiting area was decorated with a beautiful stone fireplace with a large flat screen above it. Fancy vases occupied several side tables while exquisite paintings took residence on the white walls.

"Wow." Sakura breathed, taking a moment to soak it all in before heading to the front desk.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked dully, looking her up and down, obviously assuming she didn't belong there by the look of her clothes.

"Yes, what room is Uchiha Sasuke in?" She asked bluntly.

"Name?"

"...Uchiha Sasuke." Sakura repeated confused.

"No, you're name." The receptionist sighed, already bored with her.

"Haruno Sakura."

Flipping through a list the woman's eyes opened and the bored look on her face turned into a forced smile. "Yes, Miss Haruno you're name is here. Uchiha Sasuke is in the 6th room on the 4th floor. If there is anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to ask."

The fake politeness in her voice almost made Sakura cringe. Sure she'd probably never be cushy rich enough to ever be admitted to this hospital but she was far from poor. But however much she wanted to teach this lady some humility there were more important things to do. Giving a small nod of thanks Sakura headed for the elevator. With every floor it felt like her heart doubled in beats. What was probably a 2 minutes ride felt like an eternity and when the doors opened she just stood in place until the doors shut. At that point she began to press the open button frantically and finally stepped out.

"Ok, 6th room. I can do this." Sakura said softly to herself.

The elevator left her in another waiting area not unlike the one on the main floor except cream carpet replaced marble and a dark red drenched the walls instead of white. Everything else was almost identical. There was a man sitting in one of the chairs, his gray haired head was bent over in his hands, his suit which she was sure was usually wrinkle free told another story. Sakura figured he'd been here a couple of days hoping the inevitable wouldn't happen to a loved one. He needed to be alone and she wasn't going to deny him the opportunity, so she started down the hall in search for room 6.

When she got there the door was open and she could see 4 figures around the bed in the center of the room. Mikoto was sitting on the left side of the bed, Mai on the right, Fugaku was in a chair beside his wife, and Itachi was leaning against the wall near the window. Ever since the first time she'd met the Uchiha family she knew they were the most attractive looking family in the world. Every single time she saw them there was that realization, every time but now of course. Right now all she saw was the person laying in the bed. Sasuke, he had always exuded an aura of power...of invisibility and yet there he was. Laying in bed with a tracheal tube attached, about a dozen wires stuck on his skin, and 4 tubes dripping various liquids into his veins.

She dropped her bag, her hands flying to her mouth, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. At the light _thud_ of her bag hitting the floor four pairs of eyes went from Sasuke to her.

"Sakura." Mikoto said getting up but Sakura barely heard her. She turned and ran, looking for the nearest door with a skirted blue sign.

When she found the bathroom she shut and locked the door before finally letting the tears fall. This..._**this**_ was her fault. If only she had stayed, if she had stayed maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe he wouldn't be laying helplessly in that bed. Why did it have to be like this? The first time in 4 years seeing him...the first time she'd seen his face outside of her dreams and it had to be like this. She deserved this, this pain, she deserved every single bit of it but he didn't. Not him and not his family-

"Sakura." Mikotos soft voice called her name while a few little knocks rapped the door. "Please unlock the door."

Sakura didn't answer, she couldn't.

"Sakura...please."

Sakura hugged herself as tears rolled off her face.

Mikoto must have heard the sobs she was trying to desperately make quiet. "I know...it's hard to see him this way." She said quietly. "But...don't you think he'd rather you be next to him crying rather than alone in here?"

Sakura let out a short laugh that sounded more like a hiccup and unlocked the door. "Not a chance." She said when Mikoto opened the door. It surprised her to see the Normally proud, put together woman this way. Her hair was flying every which way, dark circles hoovered below her eyes, her skin dull and colorless. She looked horrible but no one would dare blame her, not at a time like this. "You know he runs away at the slightest sign of tears."

That earned her a small smile from Mikoto, probably the first smile in a while.

"Crying always did make him uncomfortable." Mikoto said opening her arms. Sakura quickly ran into them. The warm embrace seemed to put her back together. "Thank you for coming. I...I didn't know if you would."

Those words felt like a knife in the heart, a feeling she'd most likely have to get used to during these few days she was here. "There's no place I'd rather be." Not necessarily true but she knew she needed to be here and she wanted to be but she also wanted to put the thousands of miles back between her and the Uchihas.

"That's good to hear." Mikoto sighed and pulled away from Sakura, putting her hands her face, her thumbs wiping away the remaining tears. "Come on, I'm sure Sasuke would love to see you." Sakura could see the overwhelming sadness in her eyes as she said it. She didn't say anything as Mikoto took her hand and gently lead her back to room 6.

When they entered the room the others were still in the same positions. Her back no longer in the doorway where she dropped it but on top of a glass coffee table.

"Take my seat." Mikoto said sitting her down, the black leather, still warm was the most comfortable thing she'd sat in in years. Sakura could feel their eyes on her but they weren't hostile, well all but one.

Mai stood up abruptly, her chair's legs squeeking violently against the marble floor. She gave Sakura a harsh look before storming out of the room. Staring after her Sakura couldn't help but remember the sweet little girl she used to know. The one who used to beg Sakura to play games with her told her stories about her two older brothers.

"She's having a hard time with this." Mikoto explained.

Sakura took her eyes off the doorway and looked at Sasuke. He looked the same minus the stubble that was covering his jaw. Same perfect skin, same wonderful nose, same everything.

"Come on." Mikoto said looking from her husband to her son, "Let's leave them alone for a bit, I'm sure Sakura has tons to tell Sasuke."

Sakura heard their footsteps but didn't take her eyes away from Sasuke until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Itachi standing above he, he gave her a nod "It's good to see you." He said before leaving, closing the door behind him.

"They still treat me like they used to" She said looking back to Sasuke "Even though they should be treating me like Mai is. I don't blame her. I deserve it." Sakura sighed. How many nights had she wished to have another conversation with Sasuke? To wish she could tell him everything? Too many to count but now that she was here, in this extravagant chair, in this lavish hospital sitting next to the very person who constantly inhabited her thoughts and she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to say anything she'd rehearsed time after time.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Sakura asked taking a hold of his hand. She frowned when her skin touched his. He used to be so warm, his touch fire when he caressed her, now his hand were almost cold. "You do don't you?" She had to fight to keep her voice steady as she started telling the story.

* * *

><p><em>Sakura took a few steps into the dark hallway, looking back at where she entered. The door long closed, taking the light with it. Now she was staring down a long dark stretch that was only illuminated by a dim red light that was somewhere she couldn't tell.<em>

_"You can do this Sakura." She told herself. "It's not real...just fake...it's only a show." Taking a few steps she kept looking from one side to the next expecting what was coming eventually._

_Creaking sounds filled the hallway. She whined trying to find the source of the sound, having no luck of course._

_Step after slow step she made it to the end. Now she just had to choose to go left or right._

_"Great...decisions." She grumbled and tried to scope out each end. Which one would be easiest? Each looked equally shitty. "This wasn't a good idea" she said choosing to go left._

_Taking baby steps she braved her way a few feet and a few feet is all she got before it came. She knew it was coming, it was only obvious when she walked through the door in the first place but it still was expectantly unexpected._

_"BWUAAAAAAA!" A zombie gurgled coming out of the darkness to the right._

_She screamed._

_"UhhHHHHHHhhhhhHHHHUU" Another at her left lurched, grabbing her arm._

_She screamed again, yanking her arm out of it's grasp and stepping backward. They were now in front of her and there was no way she was willing to go through them. But it seemed like they had thought of that too her back hit something warm and hard. It was another one...it had to be. She screamed again. Didn't these guys realize she wasn't into this kind of thing? Couldn't they have been easy of her? When hands from the one behind her lightly grabbed her elbows she freaked, this was enough, she couldn't take anymore. She whirled around and punched the one behind her._

_"Tsk." The guy let her go and went to cover where she had hit him._

_"Damn." The first zombie said._

_"Exit's that way." The other said pointing to the end of the hallway._

_"Huh?" Sakura asked confused. Then the guy behind her grabbed her wrist and drug her toward the exit._

_She squinted at the sun as the door opened. The gaped at the gorgeous man in front of her rubbing the left side of his head._

_"Oh my gosh! I am SO sorry!" Sakura blurted out. "Are you ok?" She asked grabbing the hand at his face and pulling it away to get a better look at the damage she did. It wasn't something he was expecting so all he did was stare at her as she examined his face._

_"Hn. I'm fine."_

_"We should get some ice on that." Sakura said._

_"I said I'm fine." He said swatting her away._

_"I just hit you upside the head, the least I can do is help." She said looking around. There was a small area of empty picnic tables. "Go sit over there I'll be a second." She pointed and ran to get some ice._

_It was early in the morning so there weren't many people around in the carnival. This was the first day that they were set up, sure it was just some rinky dink traveling carnival but even they had their appeal. Even with the limited amount of people the carnies were in full spirit. As she walked passed the dozens of random games the signature phrases were belted out as if there were hundreds of people. "I see a winner, right there! You! Come try your luck!" "Just pop 3 balloons! Come win!" "Winner winner! Do you want to win?" "You miss! I have the perfect stuffed animal for you! Come and win it!" She made her way to the snow cone stand doing her best to not be too rude as she ignored them and asked for a bag of shaved ice. The vendor looked at her like she was crazy but when she handed him a 20 he didn't ask questions. This was just her luck, first time at a carnival in years and what does she do? She ends up punching the most gorgeous man she's ever seen. Walking back the to picnic benches she almost tripped over herself as she saw the guy sitting on the bench leaning his back against the table portion, his hands in his pockets. He was dressed in a black suit and red tie. Most definitely out of place._

_"I brought some ice." Sakura smiled and sat next to him and began to fish in her purse._

_He watched her as she pulled a small bottle out of the bag and spritzed the bag then pulling a thin white handkerchief and wiped it off._

_Turning her attention back to the mas she blushed when she saw that he was staring at her. "Antibacterial spray." She explained. "You can never be too careful when at a traveling carnival." She smiled and gently pressed the plastic bag to the left side of his face. He winced and closed his left eye. "Sorry." She sighed._

_"If you're that afraid of haunted houses why did you go in?" He asked and Sakura laughed._

_"I've always been afraid of them." She said lifting the bag slightly to reposition it. "I haven't been to one in a while so I thought I'd try it out again and see if I got over it. I don't think I have."_

_"Hn."_

_"What about you? She asked._

_"What about me?"_

_"Why were you there? I mean, you look out of place here and I don't just mean your clothes. You don't seem like someone who would spend their spare time at a traveling carnival." Sakura lifted the bag to take a look at where she hit him._

_He sighed. "My litter sister loves carnivals, she likes to play all the games and ride all the rides. So when there is one I check it out before hand to make sure nothing is too frightening for her."_

_"What a big brotherly thing to do." She smiled and set the bag down. "I think you'll live. Sorry again for punching you."_

_Sasuke looked at her. "Don't do it again." Sakura laughed._

_"If you're ever behind me in a haunted house, I make no promises."_

_At that moment a cell phone began ringing and the man fished his out and frowned at the screen. "I didn't get your name." He said looking from the phone to her._

_"Are you going to sue me?" She kidded doing a once over on his suit. He smirked at her and half shook his head. "Haruno Sakura."_

_"I look forward to meeting you again Sakura." He said before answering his phone and walking away._

* * *

><p><strong>So this is a fanfic I've had rattling around in my head for a while and thought it might be time to do some writing. One thing I'd like to say is that I'm am not researching what the actual best hospitals are or where they are or yadda yadda. I'm just making it up. I'll just be making everything up pretty much so if you actually live in any of these areas, because I'm using real places, I'm sorry haha. It's just easier for me to make it up, I don't really feel up to researching where parks are or what they look like or stuff like that so I can be accurate. Also all the medicalness...yeah, made up also so don't go thinking it real.<strong>

**Anyways hope you enjoyed :)**


End file.
